Italy vs France LIVE rugby: Six Nations 2023 result and reaction as Italy narrowly miss out on famous win
Italy 24-29 France: Italy push the reigning grand slam champions all the way but Matthieu Jalibert’s try sees Les Bleus win
Ethan Dumortier scored a try on his France debut as the Les Bleus kick-started their Six Nations title defence with a hard-fought 29-24 bonus-point victory over a fiesty Italy at the Stadio Olimpico.
Thibault Flament, Thomas Ramos and Matthieu Jalibert also got on the scoresheet for the Grand Slam champions, while Ange Capuozzo dotted down for Italy and Tommaso Allan added four penalties.
The visitors were dealt a second-half scare when Charles Ollivon was sent to the sin bin and Italy were awarded a penalty try, at one point taking a second-half lead through Allan.
Les Bleus fended off the threat and will look to extend their winning streak to 15 when they travel to Ireland next weekend.
Relive all the action from Italy vs France below:
Italy 11-19 France, 39 minutes
Nothing doing at the maul so it is over to the forwards, punching around the corner. An undulating Federico Ruzza shakes free a tackler and gets to within a couple of yards of the French line, before a contesting Charles Ollivon just fails in his attempt to snatch the ball.
Onwards Italy go, then, but Tommaso Allan is taken man and ball and thus throws a slightly wayward pull-back pass.
Italy 11-19 France, 38 minutes
A few boos from the French supporters in the stand as they are penalised twice in quick succession on the left. That enables Italy to swap their own 22 for the opposition’s - with a chance for another score before the interval.
Italy 11-19 France, 35 minutes
A helter skelter couple of minutes as the two sides trade loose kicks and slightly inaccurate chases. Ethan Dumortier shows off his flashing feet darting in from the left wing and France move the ball out to the right.
Gael Fickou spots space in the Italian backfield, but puts too much on his prod through, with Damian Penaud throwing his head back in frustration as the ball beats him to the touchline.
TRY! ITALY 11-19 France (Ange Capuozzo try, 32 minutes)
Another one for the Ange Capuozzo scrap book!
Eight caps, six tries, with Gregory Alldritt the latest bamboozled by the snaking hips. Italy’s maul crabs infield, and, in truth, the play looks a little aimless as the ball is tossed to the diminutive full back with the blindside looking well populated with French shirts.
But that’s not accounting for Capuozzo’s quicksilver. Step left, step right and then left again, Alldritt caught on his heels and grasping in vain as he’s beaten to the corner.
Italy 6-19 France, 31 minutes
Juan Ignacio Brex is no Romain Ntamack. Italy have advantage and Brex drops ball to boot, looking for a crossfield kick. It’s not the worst idea, with advantage coming little bit of space in front of Pierre Bruno on the right, but while the idea is the same as Ntamack’s, Brex’s effort is rather lacking in elegance.
Italy 6-19 France, 30 minutes
Uini Atonio has taken a bang to the cheek, a cooling bag pushed against his jowls and seeming to do the trick. Italy kick down to the fringes of the French 22 - hoping to match this efficient red zone score from their opposition:
Italy 6-19 France, 29 minutes
There’s a certain Penaud-ian look to Dumortier, who is tall and rangy but has wonderfully deft feet. Like Gabin Villiere, who would have started today but for a midweek injury set back, the Lyon strider spent a fair bit of time in the French Sevens set up, an avenue of development that this team has used well.
Julien Marchand is penalised on halfway after the hooker disrupts Italian ruck ball from the side.
TRY! Italy 6-19 FRANCE (Ethan Dumortier try, 27 minutes)
A try on debut for Ethan Dumortier!
Italy manage to win the ball back but then make another untimely error, Stephen Varney leaving the ball exposed and allowing Gregory Alldritt to pounce. From there, it feels a matter of when not if as France stress the edges. Pierre Bruno is caught in field as Romain Ntamack lifts another of his floated kicks, and Dumortier rises wonderfully elegantly to take, canter round beneath the sticks and dot down.
Thomas Ramos adds the extra two.
Italy 6-12 France, 26 minutes
Italy have clearly identifield some space over the top of the French defensive ruck, with Stephen Varney this time finding it with his chip, but unfortunate that only the slightly sluggish Seb Negri is in pursuit. That allows Romain Ntamack to sashay on to it and then by Negri, and France are building again.
Italy 6-12 France, 24 minutes
Nearly more self-harm from Italy! Another chargedown, on this occasion Antoine Dupont timing his sprint perfectly to get in the way of Tommaso Allan’s punt. The fly half is rather lucky he’d given it a right tonking, with the ball ricocheting from Dupont’s arms and scurrying dead before he can capitalise.
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